They Call Me Volts
by blangreck
Summary: Long before the legacy of Katniss Everdeen, a short, dark-skinned, 13-year old boy competed in the 34th Annual Hunger Games, all in the face of death. He would not only emerge victorious, but would eventually help bring about the demise of the wretched Capitol. However, many have pondered: How did this weak boy overcome the slim odds of survival? Here lies the tale of Beetee.


_41 years before the events of Catching Fire_

_District 3_

**12:17 PM**

* * *

Gazing out the stained glass window, I catch myself staring at the massive barbed wire fence which encompasses our entire district. It's shameful really, that the Capitol opts to keep the people of District locked up in this...prison. The people of District 3 have so much potential to do good for this corrupt world. Unfortunately, that's not the way the Capitol sees it. Their irrational fear of yet another uprising by the districts has led them to believe that we are all better kept locked up like animals. But then again, I can't say I blame them; the theoretical possibility of a second uprising is quite possible. Suddenly, I see a swift movement out of the corner of my eye and catch a glimpse of an oblivious squirrel hustling towards the fence. Oh dear, this can't possibly end well. I could state fifteen reasons why the squirrel will not make it across the fence, such as the need for a 9'7 foot vertical or the fact that the voltage and current of the fence are well over the limit that the squirrel can take. Quickly, I estimate that the probability of its survival: 12.7%. The furry rodent makes a dives for a spot in-between the deadly wire. Seconds later the squirrel has reached the other side of the electrical barricade...only to be charred and burnt to a crisp. I wonder if-

"Beetee!" yells Ms. Koffler, separating me from my unimportant calculations-for now. My classmates all focus their intention on me. My close friend, Nil is among the faces I notice. I nervously look away from them. Everyone else looks at me awkwardly. After all, I am the only dark-skinned person in the room. Not tom mention, I am only thirteen; the youngest at this academy, but I rank in the top 1% in the whole district. Ms Koffler is my teacher here in District 3, at the academy for electrical-related studies. Or something around the lines of that. If the Capitol is trying to convey us intelligent beings to work for them, then they don't know how disappointed they will be. I will never serve the Capitol; but then again, what choice do I have?

"Err-uh..yes Ms. Squirrel? Uh- I mean Koffler!" I stumble. Sometimes I wonder how much of a klutz I truly am. She gives me an annoyed glance and narrowly squints her eyes.

"What exactly were you looking at out there?" she inquires, pointing a finger toward the open window. What should I tell her? I want to avoid lying; it goes against my moral principles.

"I was... I was just looking at the fence and thinking about its voltage." I hastily reply, sounding sweet and innocent, or at least that's how I hear myself.

"And speaking of voltage, can you define what exactly it is?" It looks like I'm getting out easy on this one. Of course I can define "voltage."

"Voltage is the electrical potential difference or electric tension and is the electric potential difference between two points." I declare, being careful to annunciate my choice of vocabulary. I cannot help but smile. I grew up wiring circuits and such. But my moment of pride is soon decimated.

"What's so funny Beetee?" Ms Koffler asks, seeming more frustrated than before. I quickly think up an excuse.

"It was-"but she is quicker.

"How many times do I have to tell you to pay attention?!" Now she is furious. What did I do wrong? I answered her question correctly. Maybe if I answer honestly she'll cool down.

"Well, if you count last week and today, that should come out to thirteen. Or if you want just the average then-"

"GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM RIGHT THIS INSTANT BEETEE!" She is blasting words at my face like the snow does so to the ground in a blizzard. I sigh. Now I've really done it. When Mom and Dad find out they will kill me. Not literally of course, but with hours of scolding and extra chores. Not that I can even complete my regular load, being as short as I am. I hesitantly rise out of my seat, pack my textbooks and head for the door. I accidentally bump into Lux, a spoiled, rich brat who falls to the ground upon our interaction. The class breaks open with laughter. I offer to help him up, but he shoves me off and returns to his seat scowling at me. I'm undoubtedly going to pay for that later. On my way to the door, I shrug to Nil. What can I do right in this world?

**3:07 PM**

It is two hours and fifty minutes later from my removal from Ms. Koffler's room that Nil finds me dozing off on the grass near the park, with my stuffed backpack slumped over my miniature figure.

"Yo Beetee! Wake up!" Nil practically bellows into my eardrums, leaving them ringing. I turn to find myself staring right into his bright blue eyes, freckled face, hearty smile, and blonde hair.

"Ahh! What was that for? I was dreaming about circuiting a-"

"Well look where that's gotten you." He retorts with a grin.

"I'm telling you, I did nothing wrong!" I can tell he is with me on this one.

"Yeah, yeah, but hey, I wanted to know if you could hang out before…you know" he stutters off.

"Before what?" Then it hits me. The reapings are tomorrow. Have I really forgotten? Oh no...no...no...no. The day I dread the most is almost upon me. This year, the 34th Annual Hunger Games will take place, and I've heard rumors that this year's arena will be a blast, literally. Fortunately my name will go in the reaping bowl only once since I don't receive tesserae. Statically speaking, my chances of being reaped are 0.00028571%. As for Nil, I cannot say whether his chances are as minimal as mine. He resides in the poorer area of District 3, where the economy has failed miserably. Due to this, he has taken tesserae for him and his family. But for now, my parents have agreed to pay his admission fee into the institution so that perhaps one day he will graduate and become employed and make the big bucks. Although it doesn't seem that Nil cares about what we discuss in class, I still choose to befriend him because he is the only other kid that talks to me. It's nice to have a friend to talk to, even if they are unable to comprehend most of what you say. When I snap out of my trance of thought I turn to face Nil.

"Sure, I guess I got some time. What did you have in mind?" I ask, hoping his reply has nothing to do with physical activity. It's not that I'm overweight-I'm quite the opposite actually-but I've never felt quite accustomed to straining my body.

"I thought maybe we could join the other guys for a game of soccer?" he adds on slowly, with a look that says, _just say yes for once. _I am hesitant to say yes. What if Lux finds me? He would kill me! But then again, there is that chance in which I _will_ be reaped and I am killed in the Hunger Games. I'd rather spend the possible last day I have with Nil than risk leaving without enjoying my last moments here.

"Alright, I guess I'll join you." I know I'm going to regret this. Before we leave, I walk over to the scorched remains of the squirrel which are still emitting smoke. I cannot begin to imagine what would become of me if that squirrel had been me. My black, low cut hair would instantly burn off. In a matter of seconds, my blue black eyes would be no more than specs. As for my spectacles, they would appear as melted shards of glass. As for my nose, well I haven't really thought about that, but overall my once simple complexion would be mutilated and deformed. All because the Capitol is so paranoid; but again, I can't blame 'em. I kick the squirrel into a ditch and slide soil over it. Rest in peace.

"You done burying your little… friend over there?" Nil taunts.

"Yep. Let's go" I smile, pat him on the back, and we are on are way.

**4:10 PM**

It doesn't take very long to realize that Nil and I aren't the only ones who decided to show up to play soccer. Lux is waiting for me, leaning on an old tree, munching on an apple.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here!" Looks like Nil and I are gonna have to make a run for it. There's no way that we can take Lux alone. He may be from District 3, but he possesses brute strength and I am not willing to take any chances. I'm pretty sure Nil is thinking the same because he bolts off into the woods, leaving me completely isolated. So much for "playing soccer". Lux doesn't pursue him. It's me who he's after.

"Lux, I think we can...work this out. Don't you say?" I mumble nervously as I take two steps backwards. He takes one last bite of his apple and hurls it at the ground near me. I look up to see him smile.

"Dream on, four eyes." Great, now he's insulting the glasses.

I'm off and sprinting before he can realize that I've done so. I may be small and fragile, but I can run, and that's all I need to do right now. Not too much later do I hear his thundering footsteps trailing mine. Once I reach the gate of my mansion, I should be safe. Not even Lux can break through ten foot tall steel gates. Or can he? No time to comprehend what and what not Lux can't do. Before I know it, there are rocks whizzing inches near my head. He's throwing rocks now, can this get any worse? I can tell he is catching up as I hear his breathing and panting grow louder. Without warning, a rock the size of my fist, which isn't very big, strikes me in the leg. I fall onto the ground. It can't end here! Not like this! Then I see it: my mansion and the gates that surround it. There is no time to lie on the ground. I need to get to the gate! Quickly, I unstrap my backpack and toss it at Lux. I just lost all of my school material. No time to regret that. My survival comes as a first priority. Judging by the distance to my front gate, and the rate of my speed, I initiate a countdown. 5...4...3...2...1... I enter in the code: 3852 and slip right in. Less than a second later I hear the banging of metal behind me. I can hear the screams of rage behind me. I walk on towards the front door, never once looking back.


End file.
